Bertha Awakens—New Hope After a Two-Year Delay for Seattle Tunnel-Boring Machine

Baby steps are an improvement for the tunnel-boring machine known as Bertha. The drill moved a total of 1.5 feet this week, but the symbolic distance probably felt like a mile.

1 minute read

December 27, 2015, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Seattle Tunnel Boring

Ben Brooks / flickr

"Workers at the Seattle waterfront switched on the power to the world’s largest boring machine and revved it forward early Tuesday," reports Mike Lindblom, "bringing hope to the Highway 99 tunnel project after a two-year delay."

Bertha had a breakthrough moment back in February when it moved far enough to remove a section of the drill for repairs.

The most recent development in the saga, moving the drill forward 1.5 feet, is considered a test. But this test has a particularly critical air to it according to Linblom: "Government agencies lack a Plan B, so failure is not an option.

Buried at the bottom of the article are some of the details of fallout fro the two-year delay, including the cost of the repairs:

"The main partners, Dragados USA of Spain and Tutor-Perini of California, have said in court documents that overall costs for repair, including excavation of the giant repair-access vault, are expected to exceed $143 million. It could take years for STP, Hitachi Zosen, their insurers, and Washington state to sue or negotiate who pays for repairs and delays, beyond the basic $1.35 billion STP contract."

Tuesday, December 22, 2015 in The Seattle Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Two Rivian trucks charging at Rivian branded charging ports.

US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate

The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.

May 22 - CALmatters

Metal U.S. Geodetic Survey marker in stone in Arizona.

Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency

The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.

May 22 - Wired

Close-up of 10 mph speed limit sign.

Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law

Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.

May 22 - The Urbanist